Sony planning to launch 3D TV channel on Sunday

Mike Luttrell, 10th February 2011

Sony, one of the strongest supporters of the new 3D movement, is set to be backing one of the most ambitious new TV channels and is ready to go live with it in just a few days, according to a new rumor.

Sony will reportedly announce the venture today in which it, along with Imax and the company in charge of the Discovery Channel, will unveil programming details of the full 24/7 3D network.

This looks to be the much talked about Discovery 3D channel that many people speculated on last year, but never came to fruition. Scientific documentaries and breathtaking 3D video tours of places around the globe are expected to be part of the channel's lineup.

The channel, reportedly called 3net, will launch on DirecTV, the first satcaster to pick it up. DirecTV has been extremely bullish with 3D content, launching its very own 3D networks last year while most other cable and satellite providers offer either zero 3D channels, or just one - ESPN 3D.

Aside from ESPN's network, 3net will be the only other 24/7 3D channel that's available for any TV provider to carry. However, there's no news yet on how interested any of the other carriers are.

In fact, ESPN 3D won't turn into a 24/7 channel until February 14. For now it is only live during specific sporting events. According to the reports, 3net will go live on February 13, so it actually beats ESPN to the punch as the first independently operated 3D TV network.

Aside from Discovery content, no other details are known yet about how Sony plans to fill the network with hours and hours of 3D material, but that news should come today when the announcement is made official.